Prefabricated drainage field structures



Sept. 17, 1968 s. H. RODGERS In PREFABRICATED DRAINAGE FIELD STRUCTURES Filed Nov. 27, 1964 FVG.

SEPTIC TANK F/G. 7i

wTNVENTQR. Smm/L H @006525,27

TTBNE/S.

United States Patent O 3,401,526 PREFABRICATED DRAINAGE STRUCTURES Samuel H. Rodgers III, P.0. Box 242, Crossville, Tenn. 38555 Filed Nov. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 414,321 2 Claims. (Cl. 61-13) IELD ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to prefrabricated drainage eld structures for use with septic tanks, grease traps, or other sewage or drainage systems.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of light-weight prefabricated units which are adapted to be easily transported to sites and laid in ditches prepared in the soil and connected together, in desired arrangements, and covered over, employing only common unskilled labor, instead of undergoing the present expensive and time-consuming methods of digging ditches, placing loose rock, cinders, shell, or other porous material in the ditches, then laying drain tile, and performing other operations involved.

Another object of the invention is the provision of units of the character indicated above which can be prefabricated of a variety of available porous plastic materials, and other porous materials, and be formed with passages extending lengthwise therethrough to carry the liquid throughout the drainage structure, `from the liquid source, the units being connected by short pipes extended into the ends of their passages.

A further object of the invention is the provision of units -of the character indicated above which rely on their porosity for seeping the fluid from their passages into the ground, or which rely on their porosity supplemented by vertical, horizontal, and downwardly angled ducts formed therein and leading from their passages.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a schematic top plan View of a drainage eld involving a septic tank feeding assembled units in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, on a reduced scale, of an end unit;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of another form of end unit;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5; and,

FIGURE 7 is a top plan view showing a Y-unit to which linear units are connected.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and rst to FIG- URES 1 to 4, a source of liquid to be drained into the ground, such as a septic tank T, is shown connected to a drainage structure D, whose components are laid in trenches provided in the soil of a drainage field While different arrangements of the components are contemplated by the invention, the drainage structure D com- 3,401,526 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 prises two longitudinally spaced, transversely elongated, rectangular components 10, and two transversely elongated single line components 12, and a longitudinal single line feeder component 14, which is connected, at one end, to the septic tank T, and at its other end, to the remotest single line component 12, and, is connected to and through the sides of the rectangular components, whereby liquid emanating from the septic tank ows to all of the components, and seeps from them into the soil of the eld.

The rectangular components 10 are shown as being made up of single end units 16, and pluralities of side units 18. Both the units 16 and 18 are interchangeable. The corners yof the rectangular components 10 are completed with square corner units 20, two adjacent sides of which abut the related ends of the end and side units. The corner units 20, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, are formed with right angular passages 22 which open through adjacent sides thereof, the passages having enlarged diameter ends 24 adapted to receive related ends of plastic or other suitable material, short connector pipes 26, the other ends of these pipes being adapted to be engaged in simi larly enlarged ends 28 of single longitudinal passages 30 in -other units.

As shown in FIGURE 1 and in phantom lines in FIG- URE 3, square intersection units 30, are similar to the corner units 20, except that the units 30 are formed with cruciform passages 31, opening to the four sides of the intersection units, which are adapted to be connected by connector pipes to the four passages of intersecting units, such as where the `feeder component 14 crosses units of the rectangular and the straight components, shown in FIGURE 1.

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the corner units, the intersection units, and the elongated side or end units,

' -compnse rectangular cross section Ibodies of porous material, such as Styrofoam, or other suitable material, Whose longitudinal and other passages 33 are located on a level above the midheights of the bodies. Reinforcement, such as rods 32, are embedded in the portions of the bodies between the passages and the tops 34 of the bodies. The tops of the bodies are overlaid by sheets or deposits 36 of such as asphalt, tar, tar paper, foil, felt, or visqueen, as protection against cold, the sun, rain, `or snow.

Y-units 38, formed like the units described above, are provided for connecting angularly intersecting units, as shown in FIGURE 7.

Another form of linear unit 40, shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, is constructed like those described above, except that the porosity of the body thereof is supplemented for increase of seepage `of liquid into the earth by reduced diameter ducts, leading from the passage through the body, including horizontal ducts 42, and downwardly and laterally outwardly angled ducts 44, these ducts, as shown in phantom lines in FIGURE 5, being evenly distributed throughout the body of the unit.

What is claimed is:

1. A prefabricated drainage iield structure comprising. at least one unit adapted to be laid in a ground trench, said unit comprising a prefabricated porous body yformed with horizontal passage means therethrough, and a source of disposal liquid connected to said passage means, the top only -of said body being -overlaid by impervious material secured thereon.

2. A Prefabricated drainage eld structure comprising at least one unit adapted to be laid in a ground trench, said unit comprising a prefabricated porous body of rectangular cross section and formed with horizontal passage means therethrough, and a source of disposal liquid connected to said passage means, the top only of said body being overlaid by impervious material and secured thereon transverse reinforcing rods embedded in the body between the passage means and the top of the body.

References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1915 Naylor 61-13 5/1939 Fleming 61-13 1/1943 Black 61-13 3/1956 Harpold 61-121 10 9/1956 Kemon '61--13 9/1957 Wutzel 61-12 X 8/1960 Davis et al 61-13 X 9/1963 McDul et a1. 61-11 FOREIGN PATENTS 6/ 1954 Australia.

4/1964 Great Britain.

EARL I. WITMER, Primary Examiner. 

